Currently, trend estimates for arrivals are 1.5% lower than when the series last peaked in February 2007 and 1.3% lower than in January 2007.

Seasonally adjusted estimates: During January 2008, arrivals (463,700 movements) decreased by 1.0% compared with December 2007 (468,600 movements). This followed a monthly increase of 2.3% for November 2007 and a monthly decrease of 0.8% for December 2007.

Original estimates: There were 446,100 arrivals to Australia in January 2008.

SHORT-TERM RESIDENT DEPARTURES

Trend estimates: Short-term resident departures from Australia during January 2008 (478,000 movements), increased by 0.5% compared with December 2007 (475,800 movements). This followed monthly increases of 0.8% for November 2007 and 0.7% for December 2007.

Currently, trend estimates for departures are 12.1% higher than in January 2007.

Seasonally adjusted estimates: During January 2008, departures (473,700 movements) decreased 2.2% compared with December 2007 (484,300 movements). This followed a monthly decrease of 0.7% for November 2007 and a monthly increase of 3.1% for December 2007.

Original estimates: There were 417,900 departures from Australia during January 2008.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE

Release Date

February 2008

9 April 2008

March 2008

6 May 2008

April 2008

4 June 2008

May 2008

7 July 2008

June 2008

5 August 2008

July 2008

4 September 2008

EARLY ESTIMATES

Early estimates of short-term visitor arrivals for February 2008 will be available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website on 19 March 2008. These estimates can be accessed by going to the ABS website at <http://www.abs.gov.au>. Select All statistics - Access to all ABS products & statistics, then By Catalogue Number, then 3. Demography, then 34. Migration. Choose Short-term Visitor Arrival Estimates, Australia (cat. no. 3401.0.55.001).

DATA NOTES

This publication contains movement data. Care should be taken when interpreting this movement data as 'people'. See paragraph 5 of the Explanatory Notes for more detail.

The statistics in this publication have been rounded to the nearest 100 for short-term movements and to the nearest 10 for permanent and long-term movements. As a result, sums of the components may not add exactly to totals. Analysis featured in the Key Points and Main Features of this publication is based on unrounded data. Calculations made on rounded data may differ to those published.

CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE

There have been changes incorporated in the layout of this publication. The major changes include:

Restructuring of the KEY POINTS

Restructuring the MAIN FEATURES to enable the FEATURE ARTICLE to be displayed separately.

Moving the 'What if' analysis for short-term visitor arrivals and short-term resident departures from the TECHNICAL NOTE to the MAIN FEATURES